Metallic thill.



No. 822,026. PATENTED MAY 29, 1906. W. H. SPILLMAN z F. FOWLER.

METALLIC THILL.

APPLIOATIOH FILED NOV. 24, 1905.

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WITNESSES ANDREW. B, unmm cu. PNOTO-LIYNOGRAPNERS. wAsumamn. m c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\ WILLIAM H. SPILLMAN AND FRANK FOWLER, ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN.

METALLIC THILL.

Patented May 29, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. SPILL- MAN and FRANK FOWLER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at St. Joseph, county of Berrien, State ofMichi an, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in MetallicThills; and we declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to metallic thills for bu gies and wagons, andhas for its object a thil bent from sheet metal, whose tubular structuregives it the required tensile and torsional strength, which is evenlighter than wood, and which can be produced much more cheaply in viewof the increasing scarcity of desirable wood.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of the assembled device. Fig.2 is a perspective from the same point of view of Fig. 1, but with thethill portion and cross-piece or brace withdrawn from engagement withone another. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the under side of the thill andwith the struts or braces made integral with the body portion.

1 represents the thill, which is bent to nearly circular or tubular formfrom a single sheet of metal. Around that portion of 1ts body justforward of the curved portion at the rear end are located a pair ofsheet-metal members 2, which as regards their encircling portion 2 serveto bind together the tubular thill, and each of which is provided withears 3 and 4, which are pierced with several screwholes and which, inconnection with its similar complementary member two or three inchesfarther toward the curved portion of the thill, form struts or bracesadapted for the reception between their parts 3 and 4 ofsimilarly-shaped ears 5 and 6 of the tubular cross-piece 7, which isalso bent to form from sheet metal. The shoulder 7 a of this crosspieceis so shaped and bent as to engage with a close fit over the inner sideor face of the thill and, in combination with the support afforded bythe engagement of the ears 5 and 6 between the ears 3 and 4, reduces toa minimum any tendency to displacement from its normalhorizontal'position or from its relative position with respect to thethill. The holes in the ears 3, 4, 5, and 6 are complementary in theirlocation with respect to one tendency of the tubular parts or any tendency of the sheet metal to tear apart. It is of course evident that theother end of the cross-lpiece 7 is adapted to be attached to the compementary thill in the same manner, and it has been found that thisconstruction is in every way efficient and satisfactory.

Fig. 3 illustrates a slightly-modified form of this construction, inwhich the place of the slidable clamp and ear members 2 is taken by aconstruction whereby the ear members are made integral with the bodyportion of the sheet-metal thill and. are simply continuations in theshape desired for the ears of the edges of the sheet-metal blank, whichwould otherwise be uniformly straight, and as bent over so as to almosttouch parallel with one another.

What we claim is 1. In a tubular thill, in combination with alongitudinal member, a cross-piece having its end fitting closelythereagainst, and having on each side of its end portion ears throughwhich securing-bolts may be passed, and a plurality of brace membersencircling said ongitudinal member, and each adapted to be attached toone of the ears on said crosspiece, substantially as described.

2. A metallic thill, having in combination a tubular side piece, aplurality of ear members with their body portions engaging about saidside piece, and a cross-piece adapted to contact said side piece betweensaid ear members, and having ears projecting from each side of its endportion adapted to register with and be secured to said ear members,substantially as described.

3. A metal thill, having in combination with tubular side pieces, atubular crosspiece extending from one to the other of said side pieces,and provided at each end with laterally-projecting ears adapted tofurnish, in combination with a terminal shoulder on the body portion ofthe piece, a plurality of bearing-points for engagement a ainst itsadjacent side member, and a plura ity of attaching struts engaging abouteach side piece nation with side pieces bent to form from on each sideof the point of contact therewith of the cross-piece, said struts havingprojecting ears adapted to be attached to the ears on t e end of saidcross-piece, substantially as described.

4. Metal thills, having in combination side pieces bent to tubular formfrom blanks of sheet metal, and having projecting from their lateraledges and spaced from one another a plurality of airs of ears, and across-piece, adapted to t closely with its ends against that portion ofeach side piece between said ears, and provided with ears projectingfrom each side of each end adapted to register with and be secured tosaid first-named ears, substantially as described.

5. A pair of metal thills, having in combiblanks a cross-piece similarlyformed from a 1 blank and terminating at each end in a shoul- WILLIAM H.SPILLMAN. FRANK FOWLER.

Witnesses:-

LOTTA LEE HAYToN, WILLIAM M. SWAN.

